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BCRP MSU Accreditation for Brighton & Hove
Mobile Support Units (MSUs) are rapid response vehicles offering to respond to incidents in venues by the quick deployment of security personnel. They were developed locally after the introduction of the 24-hour licensing laws in 2005. They are intended to offer a round the clock solution to businesses who needed a security presence but do not want to employ on site security staff. Additionally they also provide a rapid extra resource for door supervisors who require 'back up' to address issues and incidents on the premises.
Prior to the project commencing these MSUs were unregulated and there were numerous examples of differing standards of operation and the use of vehicles that were indistinguishable from ordinary city centre traffic. The accreditation scheme encourages security companies who offer mobile security vehicles and security personnel in the city to work to the same high standards.
In a climate of decreasing police budgets, there are mounting pressures for the security industry to play a greater part in keeping the night time economy safe. It is important that security providers are all striving to meet the same superior benchmark and are appropriately trained to deal with incidents that may arise.
As part of the MSU Accreditation Scheme the BCRP offers free training to ensure staff are suitably equipped to manage a wide range of events and maintain the integrity of crime scenes and to help businesses adhere to the licensing objectives.
The accreditation scheme criteria are updated on an annual basis to reflect current issues facing the night time economy. An advantage for the security companies operating MSUs is that the accreditation clearly identifies them as being 'a cut above the rest'. It also offers practical advantages such as exemption from bus lane restrictions which means that they can respond to requests for assistance more quickly.
“[The MSU Accreditation] is good from a business point of view because it means you are providing a service to the client that has been regulated. Now they have assurance of value and quality.”